TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan will receive 66 F-16V Block 70 fighter jets over the next two years and the Air Force will send 65 pilots this year to the U.S. for training.
A source told Liberty Times on Dec. 31 that the Air Force is going to receive the first batch of new 66 F-16V Block 70 jets this year and the order is to be completed by 2026. According to the Ministry of National Defense's (MND) budget for 2024, 65 pilots will be sent to the U.S. for a full year of specialized tactical training this year.
As part of its efforts to bolster Air Force combat power to counter China's growing fleet of fighter jets, the MND spent more than NT$140.2 billion (US$4.56 billion) to upgrade 140 F-16V Block 20 fighters, a project that was completed last year. In 2019, the U.S. agreed to sell Taiwan 66 F-16V Block 70 fighters.
Taiwan implemented the program under the codename "Project Soaring Phoenix" (鳳翔專案) and allocated a budget of over NT$247.2 billion that same year. The plan was to obtain all 66 fighters by 2026.
However, the original delivery schedule of one single-seat aircraft and one two-seat aircraft slated for 2023 experienced a slight delay. The first aircraft is scheduled to roll off the factory floor in South Carolina and be shipped in the third quarter of 2024, but the plan to complete all deliveries before 2026 remains unchanged.
In preparation, the Air Force completed organizational adjustments by the end of 2023. The 7th Squadron, originally stationed at Chihhang Air Base in Taitung, has been restructured into a tactical fighter wing containing three combat teams.
The original flight training responsibilities for F-16V pilots have all been transferred from the Air Force Academy to the newly formed Air Force Flight Training Command (AFFTC), which a major general will head.
This unit is also responsible for the training and logistical support of various aircraft types, including the T-5 Brave Eagle, AT-3 Tzu Chung, and Beech T-34C Turbo Mentor.
In addition, the Air Force has allocated a budget of NT$9.8 billion from 2020 to 2029 to procure six MS-110 reconnaissance pods for use with F-16V fighter jets from the U.S. To familiarize personnel with the operation of this new equipment, the Air Force will send five individuals to the U.S. in 2024 to undergo training on the pods.
This training will encompass the pod's operation, interface, diagnostics, instructor training, maintenance, and ground support equipment, among other functions.
